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Panil Barriquée (Sour)

	Percentile
	99
	overall

A Sour Ale brewed by
Panil Birra Artigianale - Birrificio Torrechiara
Torrechiara-Parma, Italy

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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Ratings Average Score ABV Style Pctl Serve in Advanced
430 4/5.0 4/5.0 8% 88 Snifter P Stats

Commercial Description:
Note: this is the version of Barriquée available only in North America that has been intentionally soured with lactobacillus bacteria. See the Mild entry for the European version (including Italy, although the Sour version may be obtained at the brewery).

Suddenly beer-lovers here in the States are all a-titter over dark, sour, wood-aged ales. These complex, fruity-tasting beers, native to the Netherlands and Belgian Flanders, represent one of the oldest beer styles in the world. In their traditional form, these Sour Reds – also known as ‘Flemish Red’ or ‘Oud Bruin’ beers – are related to real lambic beers: a touch of wild yeast and bacteria coming from the wood give acidity, both lactic (sour) and acetic (vinegar). Trouble is, it’s become nearly impossible to find a true, traditional Sour Red, even in the place where the style was born. The spate of Sour Reds turning up here now leaves most drinkers crying in their beer. They’re too damned sweet! Crass commercialization has brought even the generally recognized ‘classics’ of the style to their knees. They’re pasteurized, and sometimes laced with sugar or artificial sweeteners to make them appealing to the less-discerning beer drinker. The traditional complexity, character, and dryness are missing in action. But now comes Panil Barriquée, and not a minute too soon. Barriquée is the only all-natural, traditionally-made example you will find today, and it comes from, of all places, Italy. This masterpiece is ‘triple-fermented.’ Primary fermentation is in stainless steel. The deep earthy, sour character results from three months of maturation in cognac barrels from Bordeaux, followed by re-fermentation and further aging in the bottle. Barriquée is not pasteurized or filtered, and no sweeteners are added, so it is uncompromisingly dry and complex, and endlessly interesting.

Last creation of Renzo, lover of wood from time immemorial, is an absolute novelty in Italy. These dark beer is aged in French oak barrels.The barrique hosts three fermentations, 15 days in iron vessel, 90 days in barriques coming from cognac and bordeaux and 30 days in bottle. The result is a beer who marries a strong alcohol strenght, 8% with an extraordinary drinkability and a incomparable bouquet of aromas.

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Rballs01 (263), Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA

5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
5	10/10	5/5	10/10	5/5	20/20

Jun 12, 2006 Updated: Jul 8, 2006

This is a world class Flemish Sour Ale. I first tried Duchess de Bourgeone, then Rodenbach. When i got my hands on this bottle it blew them away. The color alone says it all. The aroma was of unripened cherries and vinegar. The frothy head added a nice creamyness to this sour treat. The oak-aging adds a smoothness which mellows out the tartness. A perfect PUCKER! 100% PERFECT!!!

GreatLibations (1294), Sasquatcho, Arizona, USA

5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
5	10/10	5/5	10/10	5/5	20/20

Jul 15, 2007

Pours dishwater brown w/ a golden tinge. A medium sized spattered froth emerges and slowly recedes. Good residual lacing w/ a lasting creamy ring. Aromas of cave sulpher w/ a mellow souring. Medium nectar w/ ample yet mellow residual effers that turn creamy on the palate. Dry as a bone but not offensive. Defined souring w/ balanced acidity. Nuances of tart grapefruit rind, cherry, cassis, wild apple, vanilla, cedar, and sodium. This stuff is remarkable in balance. The finish is slighty parched but only for a minute leaving a moderate tartness to think about taking another sip. This brew rocks. Highly recommended.

moejuck (1111), Ohio, USA

5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
5	10/10	5/5	10/10	5/5	20/20

Oct 25, 2006 Updated: Oct 30, 2007

This is my perfect beer, and gets the only "5" I have ever handed out. Panil pours a reddish brown color with a small tan head. The aroma is incredible--great sour smells and a definite aroma of sour cherries. The palate is right on for the style with the perfect amount of carbonation. Taste is great! Lots of sour cherry flavor mixed with a great balance of dark wood notes. The harmony between the two flavors is a perfect marriage of tastes. This is one of the few beers that I really crave on a regular basis. ’05 Vintage

spector (906), Lancaster, Ohio, USA

4.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.8	10/10	4/5	10/10	5/5	19/20

Nov 26, 2006

Aroma is of sour cherries.Pours brown with a reddish tint.Has a light tan head.Get some dark fruits and a well balanced sourness.Medium mouthfeel with great carbonation.Has a nice sour cherry finish.

mkobes (2038), somewhere, New Jersey, USA

4.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.8	10/10	5/5	10/10	5/5	18/20

Jul 12, 2005 Updated: Jul 23, 2005

750 ml bottle. Deep copper red in color with a nice tan head. Sour oak and fruity aroma. Cherries. Earthy. Sour tasting. Pleasant acidic taste. Big malty fruity flavor. Nice and enjoyable beer. Very nice. Dry. Smooth. Drinkable.

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